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I write features, articles, and essays as well as the occasional travel guide. My work has appeared in Mongabay, The Guardian, and Lonely Planet among others.
Additionally, I provide various editorial services, and develop web-based and desktop applications for non-profit, education, and research programs.
books
featured
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Bornean orangutan declared ‘critically endangered’ as forests shrink
The Guardian"This is full acknowledgement of what has been clear for a long time: orangutan conservation is failing."
The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is now critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This change means that both species of orangutan now face an “extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.”
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The Globalist: Beyond Bali
Atlas - Etihad AirwaysFive alternatives to the country's most visited isle.
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How to pack light: tips from a master packer
Lonely Planet (Best of round the world travel)Packing small is essential for any globe-trotter committed to embracing the chaos of travel.
With a small pack, you can chase down your Japanese train as it unapologetically departs on time. You can squeeze in to (or on top of) the only bus to the next village in India. Or, as we learned, when your scheduled speed boat leaves while you are busy bailing your guide out of jail, small packs will allow you to cram six large Americans into a tiny fishing boat to splash your way to your deserted island bungalow in time to watch the sunset.
Of course, packing involves deeply personal decisions. Everyone has their own ideas of comfort and style. But by following a few simple field-tested tenets of travelling small, you can shed size and weight. It might not always save your trip, but it will save your spine and your sanity.
Read more... (external site) -
Borneo Rallies to Reverse a Trend of Fire Destruction
Wildfire Magazine (cover story)"Hello Mister! 1,000 Rupiah."
A small boy stood in my way as I balanced my motorbike on the planks bypassing a large mud hole. I was running late. A dump-truck hauling oil palm seeds plunged into the quagmire, water splashing over its windshield as it whined up the other side. I paid the equivalent of 10 cents and spun my wheels back to the road. I was on my way to teach a short fire class in the tropical rain forest of Borneo but couldn't get there due to flooding.
Although the annual precipitation in this part of Borneo averages between 4 to 5 meters, there are distinct wet and dry seasons. This was, obviously, still the wet season. Historically, the forests and swamps would lock in the rains like a giant sponge to ride out the dry months. Historically, fire was all but unknown. However, with recent widespread increases in land conversion, all of that is changing. Now, fire is a very real concern for those living on the edge of what is left of the forests — a concern with which they are ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal.
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Dodging A(nother) Bullet
Inside/Outside Magazine (cover story)In the competition for poster-child of the conservation movement, the condor has a hard time competing with the whale, panda bear or Bengal tiger. With its balding, wrinkly head and tendency to defecate on its own legs, the bird does not have quite the sex appeal of other endangered species. But without a doubt, a condor in flight embodies the successes and struggles that come with returning any species to its rightful place in the ecosystem.
And slowly, the sight is becoming more common, with 141 condors now living in the wild and more potentially on the way in Arizona and California. Not bad for a bird that was placed on the endangered species list in 1967 and found only in captivity as recently as 12 years ago. But the condor’s story is far from over, and their greatest ally in their struggle, the average deer and elk hunter, does not even know they pose a threat to the bird’s survival.
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Killing the Creep
Inside/Outside MagazineOver 4 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park each year. Most come to take a quick peek into the abyss, snap a few photos and maybe buy a T-shirt. But some come to kill, claiming as many as 70,000 lives a year.
Deep in the recesses of the Inner Canyon, the battles rage. There are no embedded reporters to witness the invasion, and no medals awarded. The combatants travel in small groups in relative obscurity, taking the fight to the enemy invaders. Mostly volunteers on leave from regular jobs, the combatants are fighting for a cause they believe in, seeking no fanfare. Grants and donations finance the effort, and future funding is uncertain. Strange, considering the battle is for the life-blood of the Southwest — WATER — and time is running out.
news / shorter works
Indonesia attack shines a light on controversial road project, Mongabay
Most communities not seeing promised oil palm payoff in Borneo, study finds, Mongabay
Bid to protect Borneo’s wild cattle hinges on whether it’s a new species, Mongabay
Palm oil supplier to PepsiCo, Mars, and Hershey resumes deforesting in Indonesia, Mongabay
In West Papua’s Arfak Mountains, local leaders plot ecotourism boom, Mongabay
Study games out oil palm development scenarios in Borneo, Mongabay
Debate ensues over British supermarket chain’s decision to ban palm oil, Mongabay
Exploring city charms in wide-open Montana, Lonely Planet
No Small Potatoes: Boise isn't what you expect, Lonely Planet Magazine
How unhealthy is the haze from Indonesia’s annual peat fires?, Mongabay
139 scientists shoot down 'misleading' reports from Malaysia peat congress, Mongabay
Unclear if France will revisit 'discriminatory' palm oil tax, Mongabay
SE Asia's damaged peat swamps could release 8.7 gigatons of CO2, Mongabay
Perverse outcomes: Can conservation aid spur deforestation?, Mongabay
Study doubles the number of endangered Sumatran orangutans believed to exist, Mongabay
New tool seeks end to Indonesian paper giants’ secret links, Mongabay
Indonesia’s peat peninsula being drained into oblivion, study finds, Mongabay
APP to work with 500 villages to combat deforestation, Mongabay
Loss of big animals reduces forests’ carbon-storing capacity, Mongabay
A Dayak village campaigns for rights to its forests, Mongabay
Indonesia’s indigenous people still suffer human rights violations, says report, Mongabay
River flooding to affect 40M people annually by 2030, Mongabay
East Kalimantan reaffirms moratorium on new mining, logging concessions, Mongabay
Cunning carnivorous plants catch more prey by letting some go, Mongabay
Sting operation nets tiger poachers, Mongabay
Indonesia dissolves agency charged with forestry reform, Mongabay
Communities create timber company to protect Sumatran forest, Mongabay
Sulawesi communities build big, unique houses by sustainably managing forests, Mongabay
Rapid development threatening traditional farms, forests in West Papua, Mongabay
After 10 years vying for protection, Kalimantan community granted legal rights..., Mongabay
Sumatran community takes charge to protect its forest, attracts REDD+ attention, Mongabay
Sumatran community grows crops, aids conservation through ‘village forests’, Mongabay
Sumatran village protects environment through agroforestry, Mongabay
Sulawesi village seeks protection for sacred forest threatened by development, Mongabay
Forest management by Sulawesi community attracts international attention, Mongabay
Sulawesi community regains access to forest on which it depends, Mongabay
Child labor and palm oil in Indonesia, Mongabay
Indonesia's anti-corruption agency questions former Minster of Forestry, Mongabay
Indonesian government slow to reclaim lands damaged by coal mining, Mongabay
Black market manta ray bust in Indonesia, Mongabay
Human infections by 'monkey malaria' increasing as forests disappear, Mongabay
Another mining company found operating in flagrant violation of Indonesian law, Mongabay
Tiger traffickers busted in Indonesia, Mongabay
Rogue palm oil company appeals deforestation case to Indonesia's supreme court, Mongabay
Plantation companies in Sumatra failing to meet fire prevention standards, Mongabay
Agam, the adorable baby elephant that captured hearts in Indonesia, is dead, Mongabay
Companies hire local communities to evade palm oil restrictions in Indonesia, Mongabay
High Court denies appeal by palm oil company that cleared protected peat forest, Mongabay
Hitchhiking Caribbean lizard upends island biogeography theory, Mongabay
After 12 years, Indonesia finally ratifies transboundary haze agreement, Mongabay
Palm oil company continues to operate illegal plantation despite court ruling, Mongabay
How Islam could help save Aceh's forests, Mongabay
Indonesia to verify ownership of 66M ha of disputed forest land, Mongabay
Indonesian authorities bust porcupine-smuggling ring, Mongabay
Under pressure over pollution complaints, Aceh calls for closure of gold mines, Mongabay
Indonesia to hear indigenous peoples' grievances on land disputes, Mongabay
Bali uprising: Plan to convert protected area into golf courses, mall spurs outrage, Mongabay
Aceh backtracking on mining moratorium, continues to issue permits, Mongabay
Oil palm, mining prompts local govt in Borneo to declare water unsafe for drinking, Mongabay
Poachers target elephants, tigers in Sumatran park, Mongabay
A letter to Indonesia's new president on his environmental policy, Mongabay
Malaysian citizens want govt to spend more to save native rainforests, Mongabay
Deforestation drives tigers into contact, conflict with humans, Mongabay
Indonesia pledges to protect manta rays, Mongabay
Uprising against illegal mining in Indonesia pits villagers against miners, police, Mongabay
Study: 59% of Marine Protected Areas are ineffective, Mongabay
'Flying snakes' achieve surprising lift through unique body shape, Mongabay
Endangered tiger killed in Sumatra, Mongabay.com
Through careful management, indigenous people have shaped Asian rainforests for 11,000 years, Mongabay.com
One quarter of sharks and rays threatened with extinction, Mongabay.com
WALHI Jambi: Forestry giant allegedly evaded $15m in taxes, Mongabay.com
Get the latest at Mongabay
editing
From science journal articles to world exhibitions, I have bludgeoned prose of various states of disrepair into something fit for human consumption.
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Homes for Plants, Gardens for Humans:
2008 Beijing Olympic Games World Bontanic Garden Exhibition - exhibitAs part of the Green Olympics commitment, the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed an exhibition of world botanic gardens highlighting the importance of plants to humans. Over 40 gardens from 25 countries submitted general information, from which I was solely responsible for developing engaging, informative, and memorable text.
The text was incorporated into an open air exhibit consisting of 50 panels and multiple interactive displays located across from Olympic stadium.
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I spend much of my time editing research papers for submission to scientific journals for both native English and non-native English speakers. All of which have been accepted for publication in peer-reviewed SCI-listed journals.